solemn celebrations

It has been just over three months (three months and two days to be exact) since I last wrote.  Reviewing past posts has left me wondering how I can effectively connect the last post with the new things in my heart and my life's experiences in those past months.  It would be much like pulling an extension cord from inside my house to an outlet across the street in my neighbor's home.  I've had a season of tremendous heart wrenching, great joy, whirling questions, doubt, faith, deep healing, and answered prayers.  The path taken has been bumpy and the distance gone seems great, but I find myself today, standing at the edge of the horizon (that which once seemed impossible to find) of something new.  The only words I have to describe today are: "solemn celebration".

I am optimistically hopeful that things will be different and I am solemnly helping my dad prepare for a new phase of life.  I want to celebrate this moment, but for some reason I will have to reserve my kart-wheels for another day.  Quite simply, I will have to wait and see.  Don't get me wrong, him actually packing to go and preparing for a place that he will have to be in for over a year, on his own and by his own choice, is something to celebrate.  The fact that he is alive, is something to celebrate.  The changes I've seen in his heart are something to celebrate.  But he is not finished, nor has he "arrived."  So I reserve my unbridled enthusiasm for another day.  I thank God for the baby steps made and trust Him once again with everything.  I will sit back quietly and smile in my heart, knowing that I have learned many lessons about faith, hope, love, mercy, grace, and perseverance. I will cry when we pull away from his new home, and I will miss my dad.  Many things are in fact dying today, but in death there is life and in hope, faith is found.

I guess things can be summed up in this way:  We are at the end-zone setting up for a quick pass.  Tomorrow we will have scored some points, but it is just the first quarter of the game and it is anyone's game.  We will continue to play hard and take every opportunity to score, but we won't get the trophy or the ring until the game is over and won.

None of this may make sense if you don't know me and to those who do, you will completely understand.  All I know is that my soul needed ink and paper today and this seemed a fitting place...

thanks for "listening."

Wait for my deliverance?! God are you serious? (part 3)

"Also seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile.  Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you will prosper too." 

Jeremiah 29:7

By now, in our study and application of Jeremiah 29 in our own lives, it should be very clear which "city" you are in: Exile, Wilderness, or on the Mountain top (glory season).  This verse is helpful in forming our mindset in the "city" we find ourselves in.  It can make the difference in whether we are to stay (and die) or to be delivered!  It gives focus to life and starts the wheel in heaven spinning on our behalf.  

Remember that the Israelites were in exile and now living among their enemy.  God was showing them how to survive by telling them to live life (:5-6), and seek peace.  He's instructing them to turn their eyes away from self and towards someone else.  Focus is what they are getting.   Instead of battling thoughts of condemnation, defeat, shame, anger, etc.  God is saying, seek peace in this place and pray for your enemy! 

There is so much power in praying for our enemy.  It is a tool, we as Believers rarely pick up. Jesus instructed us to, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, to show that you are the children of your Father Who is in heaven..." (Matthew 5:44&45b).  When we begin to pray for others in our "city" to prosper, we are sowing seeds of faith into heaven's soil on their behalf.  We are releasing the power of God into their situation and at the same time, opening a window to heaven in our heart.  Whatever we sow, we will reap (Gal 6:7)!  In some ways, this is one of those "mysteries" in the Kingdom of God.  It is a mystery that I have seen work! You can see it work too.

Why does it work?  It works because peace and prayer change things.  If you have peace, you're not being led by emotions or circumstance, but by the Spirit of God.  Jesus is the Prince of Peace!  God has not given us a spirit of fear (which can take many forms.  ie: worry and doubt) but power, love, and a sound (disciplined) mind (2Tim. 1:7)!  When we begin to seek peace, we are learning to draw on Christ and lean into God (Prov. 3:5-6).  By praying for others, our focus is outward and upward, rather than on our own wants and needs.  It takes us out of the realm of selfish ambition (which leads to sin) and into the realm of faith! When we can do all of this for our enemies, then we will quickly begin to understand the love and grace the Father has for us.  Inside, compassion begins to grow and we get a new perspective on the place where we are.

I want to very quickly show you how Jer. 29:7 might apply to the three different "cities" in life:

Exile: Let's face it,  Exile is a place surrounded by the enemy.  Sin has led one here and it is of utmost importance to begin to allow God INTO that "city".  Let's say your exile is jail (since that is an actual place one might be carried off to).  What can you do in jail to seek the peace and prosperity of the city?  You can begin by asking the Holy Spirit to show you the needs of those tending the jail.  If you ask, He will show you.  Maybe one of the guards is always grouchy, or someone there is a single mom.  Lift up THEIR needs to God and ask Him to bless them!  Or ask God to bless the judge that sentenced you there...get the picture?  At first, it may be more out of obedience that you pray and your prayer may be simple: God bless that guard...or Lord, please bless the judge that sent me here and protect his/her family.  But over time, it will become genuine and you will see a love grow in your heart for that person.  During this time frame, don't ask God to bless you.  Simply pray for those over you who are tending the "city" and see what happens! 

Wilderness: In the wilderness, I believe the peace is most important to find. Remember the wilderness is a place we are led into by the Lord and He has prepared this place for us.  If we understand that we're here to learn something and that it is for a season, then we can pray properly.  The enemy likes to go into the wilderness to deceive us into thinking that we are in exile.  Seeking the peace of the "city" may actually be praying that, the peace that passes all understanding will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7)!  It can also be handing over those things which are out of your control (examples could be: surmounting medical bills or someone else not following God) over to God rather than continually worrying about them.  There are always others in the wilderness with you and praying for them to have that peace and provision will bring it into your life too.  Find someone going through a similar experience and begin to fast and pray for them and see what happens!

Mountain top: On the mountain top you have perspective of the other cities!  You can see the bigger picture, because you aren't "stuck" there.  Mountain top people are so important in helping those in the "valley" to get out.  When you see someone in one of these other places, encourage them, lift them up to the Father, and pray over them!  God just may use you to help them find the road out.  AVAILABILITY is the key when you're on the mountain.  Constantly asking God to use you to help others and for His heavenly "to-do-list" is a great way to start.

I hope this is helpful to you, whatever the address of your city is!  Let's get busy this week praying for the peace and prosperity of the city!

God, where am I?

If you have been following the blog now, you know that I have been sharing from Jeremiah 29 in its context.  The example of the Israelites being carried off into exile for their sin and what God spoke to them while they were there, can teach us how to prepare for and expect deliverance in our own lives, or in the lives of others.  In recent days, I have come to realize that there are times in our own walks with God when we aren't in exile, but rather in the wilderness.  Exile and the wilderness often "feel" the same, (dry, far away from God, painful, etc.) but are two very different places.  It is the difference in those two places I want to discuss today.

Exile, is a place one is carried off to because of disobedience and sin.  Exile, is the consequence of sin.  It is usually the end result.  It comes only after continued opportunity to turn to God and away from sin.  It is a place where we are disciplined for sin.   As believers in Christ, this discipline looks a lot different than it did for the Israelites.  To us, an “exile” could be spiritual in nature.  Although, there are times when a believer will refuse to heed the prompting of the Holy Spirit to obey the “laws” in his/her heart and will continue on a course of sin and destruction.  This can lead to a literal exile such as having to serve time in jail… (I’ve seen it happen).  As mentioned in the previous post, God disciplines those whom He loves.  Sometimes it takes an exile, or a time of dealing with the consequences of our sin, to bring us back to Him (repentance).

The wilderness is a place God leads us to so that He can care for us and teach us to receive His provision. The wilderness is a place where, despite the struggle, we are strengthened.  Often times the wilderness will come before a breakthrough!  Think of the wilderness as the "to" in going from "Glory to glory" (2 Cor 3)!  The wilderness is where we get the tools and the empowerment for growth in our relationship with God.  The wilderness makes us desperate for more of God and less focused on ourselves.  When I think of the wilderness, I think of Jesus.  He had to be led by the Spirit into the wilderness before He could go to the cross.  He couldn't have one without the other (Matt 4:1, Mark 1:12, and Luke 4:1). This concept of being led into the wilderness can be seen in other places in Scripture (Hosea 13:5, Exodus 15:22, and Exodus 16-just to name a few).

If you're "feeling" like you're in either place, it would be wise to ask God, through the power of the Holy Spirit and with the revelation of the spirit of Wisdom, to show you

which camp you're in: exile? or wilderness?  Only the Father can reveal to you the truth.

Why would it be important to examine this?  It is important because it would be just like the enemy of our soul to deceive us into believing the opposite (really that's all the enemy ever does...he convinces us the opposite is true).   First, if you believe you are simply in the wilderness when in actuality sin (un repented of) has taken you to a place of exile, then the pride of the heart has kept you from seeing the sin in your life. If you can't see the sin, then the sin won't be dealt with (through repentance) and deliverance won't come. Remember exile is a consequence to sin.  Secondly, if you think (through condemnation and shame) that you are in exile when really you are in the wilderness (a place prepared for you by God), then you will fail to see what God wants to show you or to hear what He is trying to say! You will get trapped in the wilderness and not learn as quickly, the things God wants you to learn.

Can these principles in Jeremiah 29 be applied in both places?  I believe so, but knowing the difference in where you are helps in the application.  If we ask, He will show us; His sheep know His voice.  Taking the time to do this will be so important in our future discussions of Jeremiah 29.  From this point forward, I will try to be careful to distinguish between the two when it is necessary to do so.   Keep following along and it will all come together, I promise!

If after examining yourself, you can honestly say that you're not in a wilderness or in exile, then you are most likely in one of those seasons of “glory”.  AMEN!  Even then, allow this to soak into your heart so that you can help identify, in love, places of exile or wilderness in others.  Someone may be struggling in a dry, separated place, confused by where they are, and the Spirit can help you discern whether it is exile or wilderness.  Knowing where they are (not judging them), can help bring healing and restoration to them.  Remember also, that we are taken from glory to glory, so it is quite possible that the next step is a "from," so be ready! 

God wants to bring maturity into the lives of His believers in this hour.  It is necessary to know how to rely on Him and to hear His voice. Be willing to let Him lead you to the wilderness if necessary!  He loves you!

Intermission

Well hello there!  You probably wondered what had happened to the Friday posts the past few weeks.  The truth is that sometimes in life we have to take intermissions.  Easter weekend was busy, we had no power and was hunkered down through the storm, a computer virus hit us, and then I had a child celebrating her birthday.  All the while, my heart longed to be able to share some things but I had to wait...

I am one to believe that all things happen for a reason and that all things come in their time.  Certainly God is like this, always doing things on His schedule rather than ours.  Ecclesiastes speaks of this well and another verse that comes to mind is Isaiah 55:8-9:

 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts."  

To be honest, God had to work some things in me before I could continue here.  I needed an intermission, and quite possibly so did you.  I pray that He has been working His Truth in your heart and that the next installment out of Jeremiah 29 will be a word in due season for your soul.  I will end this intermission with the rest of Isaiah 55 for it speaks well to all I have said, and to where we are going.  Isn't God good?!  

" For as the rain and snow come down from the heavens, and return not there again, but water the earth and make it bring forth and sprout, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, So shall My word be that that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return to Me void [without producing any effect, useless], but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.  For you shall go out [from the spiritual exile caused by sin and evil into the homeland] with joy and be led forth [ by your Leader, the Lord Himself, and His word] with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.  Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name of renown, for an everlasting sign [of jubilant exaltation] and memorial [to His praise], which shall not be cut off." Isaiah 55:10-13 (Amplified Bible)

I see beauty coming from the ashes and unquenchable joy coming from the pain!  Do you see it too?

Wait for my deliverance?! God are you serious? (part 2)

...have you waited long enough?  Are you ready for more?  First off, let me say Happy Good Friday to you!  It is amazing that God loved us so much that He would watch his Son go through tremendous amounts of pain, suffering, and death, on our behalf.  Jesus' death and resurrection ushered in the new covenant between God and His people, drawing us close to the Father.  That's always what God has wanted.  Fellowship with His children.  Through Christ, we are redeemed from our sin.  He delivered us!

The words in Jeremiah 29 also speak of deliverance.  They were written at the inspiration of God, through the prophet Jeremiah (in a letter), to the survivors of Israel, who were living in exile.  The letter was sent to the elders among those survivors to communicate God's love.  An important question to ask here is, "why were God's people living in exile"?  Quite simply, they were in exile because they were disobedient.  They had made a covenant with God promising to obey Him and to be His people (see Exodus 19 & 24), but had broken their promise time and time again.  God had warned them that if they didn't come back to Him in obedience, they would be carried off into exile.  In their disobedience they would be handed over to their enemies.  That is exactly what happened.  Here's where some people will stumble a bit. 
How could a loving God allow this to happen? 

It is because God is loving that He allowed it to happen!  It is no different than a parent placing a child in time out for misbehaving and being disobedient.  In fact, His discipline of His children through exile, was showing them His love (Proverbs 3:11 & 12 and Hebrews 12:5-11).  It takes love to discipline.

How we react to discipline actually prepares us for deliverance.  I am going to break some things down and hopefully help you see that deliverance from things that have us captive, takes time.  It isn't just GOD stepping in and doing it-poof!  Often times, He asks us to do something to prepare for His coming.  Does He need us? NO!  But He desires relationship with us so much, that he involves us...
let's go to Jeremiah 29: 4-6. 

"This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel says to those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: "Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters.  Increase in number there; do not decrease..."

This portion of Jeremiah says to me: CONTINUE LIVING!  Have you ever been in a place (maybe of exile) when it seems life has dealt a heavy hand and you just want to stop, curl up in a ball and ignore it?  These captives could have easily done that, but God was asking them to keep living life.  He wanted them not to get in the mindset of "this place is awful; whoa-is-me!"  He was having them to settle down and be content with the consequences (not ignore them) and to make the best of them. 

Are you in a place of exile?  Do these words ring true in your heart?  Simply ask the Lord to show you if there is something in your life that has brought you to this point.  I am not suggesting that it is always sin that leads us to exile, but I am suggesting that more often than we want to believe, it is sin that has leads us there!  Maybe your whole life feels like an exile.  If that's the case, I would ask if you have ever come into relationship with God through Christ?  Have you entered into that new covenant? If not, now is the BEST time to do that! If you are a believer and have come into relationship with God through Christ, then repent for that specific sin and ask God to forgive you!  Don't ignore what God is trying to show you.  If life is simply tough and it is hard to breathe, because let's face it, we are not promised a life free from trouble, then continue to live!

If you have determined you are in exile and have made things right with God by acknowledging your part in it and asking for His forgiveness, then prepare yourself by applying some of the other principles in Jeremiah 29:

     -As the Israelites were told to plant gardens and eat what they produced, plant the WORD of God in your heart and let it yield fruit in your life.  Find verses that address the opposite of the sin you are in exile for and meditate on those verses.
     -Be productive while you're in exile and do something to better the experience! 

I know the parts in Jer. 29 about marriage were put in place to ensure they didn't go "extinct," but to me this represents adding to God's family.  You being real about where you are and why, could be a tool to bring someone else into God's kingdom.  Don't stop sharing God and His love with others through your exile experience. 

Between now and the next post, meditate on this small portion of scripture.  Ask the Holy Spirit (God's Spirit) to shine into your life and reveal TRUTH to you about your life and your relationship with Him.  Begin to pray that you will have the right attitude in your exile.  Read the word, and prepare your heart. There's so much more to see (I wish that I could share it all at once, but I can't)!

Remember in this season of reflecting upon the finished work of Christ on the cross, that God loves you enough to never leave you where you are and He sent His Son Jesus to prove it!

Wait for my deliverance?! God, are you serious? (part 1)

I am going to share with you a revelation I got when reading Jeremiah 29 one day.  I had been seeking out something to share with a friend who was in a tough situation and I heard the Holy Spirit whisper the "famous" verse (Jeremiah 29:11) to me: "for I know the plans I have for you..."  I went to Jeremiah 29 and began to read it from the BEGINNING.  WOW!  We do this verse tremendous injustice by just quoting that one little part.  The context surrounding this verse is so rich and full of so much more meaning and depth. This verse is sandwiched in the middle of a word that God was giving His people (through Jeremiah) about deliverance.  We want to just take that one little section and run with it!

Does that mean that God doesn't really have a plan for us?  No, that's not what I'm saying.  He definitely has a plan for us, but it isn't always just to snatch us up out of our problems, dust us off, and to hand us a gift.  His plans come to us often times as we wrestle in that place we don't want to be, knowing that what God says is true and that He loves us no matter what...and yes, most of the time we actually have to WAIT for Him to deliver us!

Waiting isn't something we "Americans" are much good at.  I know, this isn't politically correct; truth is rarely politically correct!  I would suggest that many "American Christians" are even worse at waiting...ouch right?

Over the next few posts, I will break Jeremiah 29:4-14 down and show you the amazing truth I found in here about deliverance!  Are you ready? 
Read this portion of scripture...
       and meditate upon it until my next post... 

"You mean I have to wait?" 

Yep! 

I'll check back soon...

Prelude

I suppose if I am to begin a blog, I should have an introduction of some sort.  Many of you who may choose to follow this know me well, but I imagine from time to time someone might stumble upon something I write and would like to know who this "quirky" person is and why I am writing a blog.

So consider this a prelude of sorts.  An introduction to all God might do in the following pages of this "song".  I am a woman (a wife, a mother, a daughter, and a sister) on a journey to the fullness of life that only Christ has to offer.  He is the Healer, the Redeemer, and He is my friend.  He is the one Whom my soul seeks.  He has taken all of the ashes of my life and is using them to create beauty.  Some days the beauty is hard to see, but if you look closely you might catch a glimpse.  This metamorphosis takes patience.  I like to say that I'm learning to wait patiently in impatient skin.  More often than not, I fumble and fail, but God is still there loving me and never letting me forget that He has a plan for me.  I hope that when my life in this earthly realm has ended that people will remember me as someone who loved deeply, fought hard, lived life authentically, and was a true friend. I can only be these things in the strength that Christ provides. 

On this journey from ashes to beauty, I long to take others by the hand and be used to tend to the deepest wounds in their soul.  To lead them to this man they call Jesus.  He sets the captives free!  Will you come along with me?  Would you like to meet Him?  Will you let Him in?

I pray that you will walk beside me on this path of faith.  Sometimes the journey seems long and the path a bit rocky.  It is good to know that others are walking alongside me.  I am not qualified in any way to lead, but sometimes that role is thrust upon me.  From time to time I have a few "nuggets" of truth to share.  That is what this blog is for:  To share what the Lord impresses upon my heart with other women (wives, mothers, daughters, and sisters) who long to be a beautiful reflection of their King, to stop along life's road and help a wayward soul, and to keep moving, one foot in front of the other towards the goal!

Isaiah 61